


The Sighted

by Canadiantardis



Series: Whumptober 2020 [30]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, One Shot, hostile creatures, kinda sorta idk, shadow creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27212653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canadiantardis/pseuds/Canadiantardis
Summary: Roman had been seven when he found out he had the Sight, along with his brother.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton
Series: Whumptober 2020 [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1920886
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	The Sighted

**Author's Note:**

> Day 30: Ignoring an injury  
> Welp, nearly at the end of the month. I wanted to go ham on this prompt but couldn't figure out how. I think it worked out well enough, tho~

Roman had been seven when he found out he had the Sight, along with his brother. It was very uncommon except in certain family lines, where those who had the Sight saw things no one else could. Some of those things were benign; a pair of disembodied eyes, a silhouette off in the distance, or even harmless flying creatures. Roman thought they looked like fairies or pixies, though it was always hard to tell, as none of the creatures had distinct features. It often looked like they were made of shadows, but he knew they were very solid. Out of the choices, Roman enjoyed seeing the flying creatures, and it was a goal to get one to land on his arm or hand because that would mean a shadow creature trusted him not to hurt them.

However, there were also hostile creatures, and Roman first encountered one when he was eight. These creatures were like the silhouette ones, but they didn’t really like humans who had the Sight. Roman could never get a straight answer about why this was, but the moment a hostile shadow figured out someone wasn’t just zoning out but actively looking at them, that person better hope they had water or could defend themselves long enough to get water.

When their parents learned both of them gained the Sight from their Dad’s side, Roman and Remus were put into early self-defense that had been created long, long ago for kids with the Sight specifically. Roman remembered his brother and him being in very small classes, with only at most 6 kids, including the two of them, that were their age. They learned how to defend themselves and build up stamina and endurance, as well as know where to find bodies of water, as that was the only way to get the shadow creatures, benign and hostile, away. Spit or other bodily fluids didn’t work, Roman remembered when Remus had asked that despite the grossed out looks everyone gave at the idea of spitting on a creature.

Despite that, Roman had a fairly normal life. He and Remus bugged the hell out of each other, had made new friends when they started middle school that the other twin didn’t like for reasons they never told the other, and Roman was in his school’s drama club. His Sight never stopped him from continuing with his life.

So, when he and his friends decided to explore the forest that was near the school, Roman thought nothing of it. Logan wanted to explore to see what kinds of things grew so close to home that he didn’t know, and Patton wanted to come with him so he didn’t get lost, and Roman said he’d join them so they didn’t _actually_ end up lost and they’d be going back to his home for supper and a sleepover.

They were in the forest for about ten minutes before a chill ran down Roman’s spine, and he looked around to see what kind of creatures were around. He spotted a pair of eyes, which widened when he looked right at them and averted their gaze, looking to the other two with the same amount of curiosity that Logan was giving a small clump of violet flowers by the base of a large tree.

Patton gave a similar shiver, and looked around, but couldn’t see the eyes like Roman could. He stuffed his hands into his sweater pockets and looked like he was trying to ignore the unknown unease. Roman wanted to reassure him that it was just a pair of eyes, but the thing about being Sighted meant, unless you were married or related to those without it, they couldn’t know about it. Roman never understood the reasoning behind not telling the world that under 1% of the population of the world - according to Roman and Remus’ teacher back when they did self-defense - have the Sight, but he decided to comply with the rules anyway. If it was to protect everyone, that seemed like a good enough reason.

“This is so fascinating,” Logan interrupted Roman’s internal monologue, and he turned to his friends. “Look at how it clumps together.”

“Sorry, but I don’t see how that’s fascinating, professor specs,” Roman did try to understand his friend’s obsession with learning about anything and everything he could get his hands on, but then he’d start talking science and Roman’s eyes would glaze over in non-comprehension. Roman wasn’t a science guy. He wasn’t entirely sure what he _was_ but he knew he wasn’t someone who enjoyed math or science or whatever else with all the complicated numbers.

Something blurred just out of the corner of his eyes, and he turned to see, only to freeze with wide eyes as he saw a silhouette, much too close to be benign. The shadowy head snapped to look at him, and while Roman couldn’t see a single facial expression, he could imagine the anger and hate and utter rage that the hostile creatures held towards the Sighted.

Roman put a hand to his side, where he normally kept a spray bottle of tap water, and his blood ran cold. Nothing was there at his side, and as he thought back, he realized he hadn’t brought the spray bottle with him. Seeing hostile creatures were much rarer than seeing the benign, why did today have to be a day he’d be so unlucky??

With a thick gulp, Roman took a step back, keeping his eyes on the shadowy form. Patton and Logan hadn’t noticed him even move or anything. Good, he could work with that.

“Uhh, I just forgot something a little back there. Don’t move, I’ll be right back!” Roman knew there had to be puddles nearby, or even a pond of some kind in the forest, he could ever so faintly hear the sound of running water in the distance. He took off before Logan or Patton could give an answer, sprinting just in time to avoid a swipe made by the creature.

He ran until enough of the trees were between him and his friends before he paused to figure out where the creature was, gasping when he felt claws rake over his right arm and he pulled away, clapping a hand over the three shallow cuts before they could start bleeding. At least the creature hadn’t cut through clothes. That was always so tough to explain away to non-Sighted people who didn’t know anything.

The shadowy creature was deathly silent, a thing that always creeped Roman out when they were hostile. They never looked or made an angry sound, so it was often like a robot attacking him but as fluid as a ghost. Freaky things, even Remus didn’t like that they were silent and expressionless, and that said a lot to any who knew Remus.

The creature lunged again and Roman yelped, stumbling backwards until he hit the trunk of a tree, and ducked out of the way of another attack to run again towards that running water sound.

He ran until he saw a small stream, and stumbled to slow himself down, but went too slow before he felt clawed hands wrap around his middle and yank him back, the tips of the claws digging into him and ripping his shirt and breaking skin. He gasped and whined. He couldn’t yell, couldn’t attract the attention of his friends. They’d only see him suddenly bleeding without knowing where he was being attacked from, and they would get in the way. While the hostile creatures never attacked non-Sighted people, when provoked, they were capable of harming anyone and anything.

Roman struggled and kicked out behind him, catching some part of the creature hard enough for it to loosen its hold and he ripped away. He had no idea how deep the wounds were, but it hurt to breathe in so he was a little concerned. He had to ignore the pain, though. He needed to get to water, he had to get rid of the creature before it was too late or the others came looking for him. Roman was beside himself for forgetting his spray bottle today of all days.

Just as he made it to the stream, Roman felt another attack land, claws against his back and he fell forward into the stream with a little splash. It was only when he didn’t feel another attack that he was relieved to know some of the water that splashed up hit the creature and it was gone.

Roman took stock of himself, feeling the stinging pain of his middle as cold water and his clothes stuck around the wounds of his front, and it was a little difficult to breathe with the cold and the wounds around his front and back.

He crawled out of the water and took some deep breaths, grimacing at just how much of him was cold and wet now, and he sat up to take a look at himself, making another face at the holes and sliced fabric of his shirt. He… honestly had no idea how to explain that away to his friends, but… _maybe he could try to hide it?_ He didn’t need any immediate help with the injuries, they weren’t too bad, at least, he was telling himself they didn’t hurt too much.

He wrung out as much of the water as he could, shaking out his limbs and figuring out the best way to cover himself up without looking too suspicious, before he made his way back to his friends.

The moment Patton saw him, he gasped and ran over. “What happened to you, you’re all wet!”

Roman laughed weakly, “Ah, tripped in a big puddle, I’m fine.”

Patton tried to circle him, but Roman couldn’t exactly hide the slash that was on the back, so he kept shifting so neither could see, shaking his head.

“Where did you fall in a puddle if you were going back the way we came?” Logan questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Must have gone a different way,” Roman smiled, and shivered.

Patton at least picked up on that and jumped, yanking his sweater off of himself to give to Roman and Roman really hoped he wouldn’t bleed on his friend’s clothes. “You must be freezing! Here!”

“Maybe it’d be a better idea to do this another day,” Logan mused quietly as Roman tried not to grimace as he stretched too far and felt every single wound before they were all hidden underneath Patton’s sweater. “We should go back home.”

“You sure?” Roman asked.

“Yes, I’m certain. I don’t want either of you to catch a cold because of the colder temperatures,” Logan brushed dirt off his pants, and then they were on their way home, and Roman gave the longest, relieved, internal sigh, doing his best to ignore the pain as he caught up with the other two. He could look at the injuries when he was back home. _They didn’t hurt,_ he reminded himself. _They didn’t hurt._

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [ LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:  
> Feedback
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> This author replies to comments.
> 
> Some fun facts: Virgil also has the Sight, but he was adopted and neither of his adoptive parents are Sighted or grew up knowing anyone Sighted. Until an incident with him, Janus, and Remus and hostile creatures, Virgil thought he was just seeing things.  
> The two friend groups join together in the last year of high school. Remus and Roman help Virgil as much as they can with figuring out Sighted stuff. Janus is the only non-Sighted at this time that knows anything, considering he was involved with the incident and saw everything, but he doesn't tell anyone, including Logan and Patton.


End file.
